Doctor Who is garnering immense attention especially after the episode premiered Saturday evening. It featured a same-sex kiss between the fifteenth doctor played by Ncuti Gatwa and Jonathan Groff’s Bounty Rogue. While many are praising the BBC series for airing its first-ever romantic same-sex kiss, it is far from the truth.
Before the major event of episode 6 of the series, the iconic show has already featured the rare moments of same-sex kiss on-screen.
Doctor Who Ncuti Gatwa’s Same-Sex Kiss isn’t First in the Franchise
Doctor Who has kept audiences hooked with its unique sci-fi storylines since 1963. The show follows the adventures of the Doctor, a Time Lord who travels through time and space in the TARDIS, a time-traveling machine that looks like a British police box on the outside.
He is usually accompanied by companions to save lives. Beginning in the 1960s, fourteen actors have headlined the show with the latest being Ncuti Gatwa as the fifteenth one.
As the new era of The Doctor began last month, the eighth episode dropped this Saturday, featuring an emotional kiss with the leading actor and Jonathan Groff on-screen. As the fans applaud such a big step, the same-sex kiss on the show is nothing new.
Check out the tweet here.
I literally just saw a post of someone being all like ew Doctor Who became gay I don't want to see two guys kiss and yet literally in 2005 we had the pansexual King Captain Jack Harkness kissing the doctor and the 11th doctor kissing Rory and almost Craig don't watch homophobe 😂 pic.twitter.com/Gx4sr0Drg6
— Hiro Hamada (@Hir0Hamada) June 8, 2024
In episode two of the seventh franchise series, Matt Smith headlined the show as the Eleventh Doctor. Titled Dinosaurs on a Spaceship, the episode featured the Time Lord kissing his companion Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill) in 10 seconds.
Not just that, the franchise‘s popular pansexual character, Captain Jack Harkness has also shared a kiss with the Time Lord, which again showcases that the same-sex kiss is not a new concept for the franchise. However, what makes Gatwa’s kissing sequence is their sizzling chemistry that is warming fans’ hearts.
Ncuti Gatwa’s Same-Sex Kiss With Jonathan Groff on Doctor Who Makes History
In the eighth episode set in the British Regency period of 1813, Gatwa’s Doctor teams up with an anti-hero named Rogue (Groff). Initially, the characters had trouble trusting one another but eventually got together to face off against the shape-shifting Chuldurs.
The duo started to showcase some sizzling chemistry as they flirted with one another throughout the episode. After shocking the guests with ballroom dancing, Rogue gets down on one knee to propose to the Time Lord but things take a drastic turn as Rogue sacrifices himself to save the world.
However, the sacrifice comes before he leans in to kiss the Doctor, which has now become an epic moment for the show. Their emotional moment is what makes the same-sex scene more beautiful. Fans took to X to celebrate the historical moment.
Check out the tweets here.
Well, that was just marvellous! So clever!
I do hope we see more of Rogue. Great chemistry.#DoctorWho pic.twitter.com/8S8pNGs0FP— 🌟 Simply Stella 🌟 (@Stellabranch) June 8, 2024
I NEED Rogue to be a recurring character in Doctor Who! #DoctorWho #DoctorWhoSpoilers
— Cora ✨ DW Spoilers (@Thirteen_Stars_) June 8, 2024
I would love, love, love to see Jonathan Groff here again. #DoctorWho
— Irim Sarwar (@irimtated) June 8, 2024
Me when Rogue and the Doctor kissed.
Amazing episode, favourite of the series so far!#DoctorWho pic.twitter.com/xvhO5Uxm4L
— Ian Timbrell (@ITimbrell) June 8, 2024
Rogue has been the best episode of the current season of Doctor Who so far. The comedy, Kylie Minogue, a gay kiss and genuinely scary villains! #DoctorWho
— Cal McFab (@Cal_McFab) June 8, 2024
Apart from the kiss moment, the show has long been among the fan-favorites list which has featured several characters and actors from the LGBTQ community. Even Gatwa is the first leading actor of the franchise to identify as Queer. He is also the first person of color to play the part in the show’s history, marking a significant moment in the TV show.
Doctor Who airs on Saturday at 6.45 pm on BBC One. It is available now on BBC iPlayer.
